Every day in Accra, thousands of pedestrians make a choice that could determine whether they return home safely or become another statistic in a road accident. While footbridges have been constructed at strategic locations across the capital to provide safe passage over busy highways, many people continue to ignore them, opting instead to dash across speeding traffic. This seemingly ordinary decision has become one of Ghana’s persistent road safety challenges, raising questions about public attitudes, law enforcement and the effectiveness of communication campaigns aimed at changing behaviour.
Road traffic crashes remain one of the leading causes of injury and death worldwide, and pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users. In Ghana, accidents involving pedestrians continue to account for a significant proportion of road fatalities, despite investments in road safety infrastructure. Across major highways such as the George Walker Bush Highway, the Accra-Tema Motorway and other busy roads, footbridges stand as visible reminders of government efforts to improve pedestrian safety.
Yet, at many of these locations, it is common to witness people climbing over barriers or weaving through moving vehicles rather than taking a few extra steps to use the bridges built specifically to protect them. Experts say the problem goes beyond infrastructure. It is fundamentally about human behaviour.
Many pedestrians cite the inconvenience of climbing stairs, time constraints, fatigue or simply habit as reasons for avoiding footbridges. Others complain that some bridges are inaccessible to elderly persons, pregnant women and people living with disabilities. Weak enforcement of road safety regulations has also contributed to the widespread disregard for designated crossing facilities.
Students placing a poster on using the Footbridge at a vantage location in Accra These behaviours come at a heavy cost. Every pedestrian knocked down represents not only a personal tragedy but also emotional trauma for families, increased pressure on hospitals and avoidable economic losses to society. Road crashes often lead to traffic congestion, emergency response costs and lost productivity, while public funds invested in road safety infrastructure fail to achieve their intended impact when the facilities are ignored.
Recognising that changing behaviour requires more than constructing…
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